SINGAPORE 60's: ANDY'S POP MUSIC INFLUENCE: ON THE MUSIC N MEMORY TRAIL IS MY OWN BLOG N ROLL PROJECT. NOSTALGIA IS PERSONAL HISTORY N PICTURES TELL STORIES. POP MUSIC NOT PILLS. ANDY YOUNG. (November, 2008). IT'S DONE WITH MUCH TIME AND LOVE.

"TO BE A ROCK BUT NOT TO ROLL"

Sunday, December 09, 2012

Memory Trail: Teresa Khoo Music Pioneer From 50s

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The following post about pianist Teresa Khoo is information from a letter by Horace Wee (thank you Horace) and articles from the daily newspapers published in Singapore. I do not know her personally but have seen the Khoo family perform on TV and listened to them on the radio. I thought she deserves some recognition since she was one of the pioneers in the music industry from the 50s.

Hi Andy,

You may want to post this as it is about Singapore musicians from the 60's.

Teresa Filmer (nee Khoo) the pianist wife of bassist Winston Filmer passed away on November 8th 2012 in Melbourne Australia. She was 70 years old and had been in ill health the past few years.

She had a hit song that was popular in Malaysia around the early 60's I think. Not sure the title but was it called, *Say Yes, My Boy (image 1), recorded on the Decca label. She spent her years in Melbourne teaching and I think she was on the board of music examiners for the state of Victoria/Australia.

She is from the well known family of Khoos in Singapore that include Victor an entertainer and ventriloquist, The Singing Khoos comprising of her brothers. Her father (Khoo Teng Eng) used to perform magic shows in those early years as well.

Cheers, Horace Wee.

1. Mono Extended Play. Cover Photo: George Abbas.

Teresa Khoo was one of Singapore's most talented daughters from the 50s who acquired her LRSM (London Royal School of Music) in piano when she was only 15 years old. According to reliable sources, she was a prefect at school and was usually on stage to lend support by playing the piano for numerous occasions.

She started the first ever all girls band called the Blue Belles in 1960, way before any guitar group could ever claim that status. The group came in third in a "battle of the bands" contest that year and were a hit when they appeared in nightclubs all over Singapore and Malaya playing jazz standards.

Their ages ranged from 17 to 21 and the combo consisted of a double bassist, a wind-instrumentalist, an accordionist, a violinist, a guitarist and Ms Khoo herself as pianist. But she was also deft on the accordian, flute and vibraphone.

Sometimes, as a family, Khoo was assistant to her father's magic shows but music was her first love and her musical interest expanded when together with the Singapore Musical Society she formed an official choir of thirty singers. From classics to combo to choir.

When she turned professional Teresa Khoo and her Three Notes entertained regularly at some of the more established nightclubs in Singapore, namely The Raffles and The Adelphi Night Club and Peacock Bar in the 1960s. With her classical music background her versatility was obvious when she gave her own twinkling trademark to the pop songs she rendered.

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2. The Singing Khoos and sister TeresaKhoo at the piano were
performing an item at the Victoria Theatre on 5 October 1960. The show
was organised by the Chinese Section of Radio Singapore and the
compere was Mr. Wang Shih Ming.

Khoo cut an album on Decca Mono DFE 4003: Teresa Khoo and Her Five Notes. Her songs include: You Don't Know, Baby, Unspoken Words, Say Yes, My Boy and A Lover's Concerto. She has another record on Decca F 22658 called Teresa Khoo and Her Five Notes with Tonight in Tokyo/This Must be Love (1967).

Produced by Darling Lim Geok Lin with cover photo by George Abbas the record sleeve reads: "Presenting for the first time on record as a performer in her own right - the talented and versatile Teresa Khoo. Teresa was trained as a classical pianist, obtaining the music degree LRSM (London). Indeed she has her own music school in Singapore but at night - she sizzles. Gone for a while are the classics and, leading her Five Notes, in comes the beat. Teresa prefers sentimental songs. Just listen to her rendering of Unspoken Words."

Unspoken Words climbed the Singapore Charts and was published under Hits of the World on Billboard Magazine when it hit number two in February, 1968. Image below shows the song position where it bettered Cliff Richard's, All My Love and Bee Gees' Massachusetts, losing only to the Foundations' Baby, Now That I've Found You.

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3. Teresa Khoo's Hit at Number 2 on Billboard.

In the early 80s when the SSO (Singapore Symphony Orchestra) recorded their first album Ms Khoo was the pianist selected for the occasion. Together with other musicians they formed a contingent and had put on CD a collection of Chinese melodies.

Khoo's popularity allowed her to promote a local product and she was described as "one of Singapore's most respected pianist, a busy woman with performances, recording schedules and also teaching at a well-known music school." In the newspaper advertisement the tag-line was, "I must have soft and supple fingers or my playing will not be up to standard."

If there's anyone out there who wishes to provide more information about Teresa Khoo please do so and I will be only too willing to publish it on this blog. Thanks.

NB: According to the record cover and newspaper advertisements her name is Teresa and not Theresa ie: without the letter h.

If you are copying the information for your own use (book, magazine, blog, website, etc.) please acknowledge me on your bibliography.

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LATEST NEWS: Friday, 6th June, 2014.

SINGAPORE: Local ventriloquist Victor Khoo, brother to Teresa Khoo, died on Friday, June 6th aged 63. A well-known international entertainer, and one that many Singaporeans grew up watching the radio show, Happy
Talk on Saturday mornings, he was most famous for performing with his puppet Charlee since the 1970s.Image: Straits Times Press Singapore, Archives.

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From 1966 January to June, I was teaching at Outram Sec School. And among the teachers was Vincent Khoo, who also appeared on TV and radio - I think he's a member of the Singing Khoos, one of whom is Victor Khoo, the voice of Charlie.

Teresa Khoo Filmer was my piano teacher for almost a decade and she nurtured me since I was 8. She would tell me countless stories about her childhood but she never told me she was a pop star! I just recently found out about the news and I was so shocked. I hope that her talents and memories will be cherished and passed on to future generations.- tom

Again thank you Matt for your generous contribution to this blog and your personal comment about Teresa Khoo and her family. I am sure somehow my blog is a place where families and friends gather because of the music connection.

I am not sure about the blog being a big oak tree and I surely appreciate the comparison but I hope it can be a delicious durian tree where others can gather and harvest the fruit.

Sorry for the long delay. I sort of lost track of your blog. My sister has a picture in her home of the Blue Belles during a performance, our mother was the double bassist. When I was young, she mentioned the band quite often and seemed to be very happy when she was there. There was not much else I can remember, she passed in 1981. I was under the impression they performed often. My mother had a full time day job in the civil service in the steno pool, as I am sure all the other ladies (save Theresa) had. I believe Theresa Khoo formed the band, the first all girl's band playing non classical music in 1960. I was born in 1962, which might have been the reason my mother left the band. LOL. She was a member of the Seck family, which at that time owned Seasons music store on North Bridge Road. Its interesting to note that Theresa was apparently an open minded person, having accepted a Malay singer Zainab Majid into the Blue Belles which up till that time was all chinese girls. Please see link.

In the 1960's when the craze among our youth was to buy local records (i.e. Singapore vinyl), they were more familiar with the covers of Western pops sung by our own artistes than the original ones. In fact, some record buyers were not even aware of the versions by our British or American counterparts.

LED ZEPPELIN: THE BOOK ABOUT THE BAND

Then there's the important Discography where L.Z. fans can browse through with eternal contentment the list of recordings, albums and awards this group would have harvested during their decades of performances. CLIK PIX TO READ STORY.

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60's CHRISTMAS SONGS

CARICATURIST AL HIRSCHFELD and his sketch of ERIC CLAPTON

Pop singers, like many celebrities, need to be immortalized. One way is to use caricatures. Al Hirschfeld , to me, is one of the greatest artists. CLIK PIX TO FIND OUT THE OTHERS.

INTERNATIONAL STARS CONNECT WITH THIS BLOG:

Rick Astley (Never Gonna Give You Up), sang in the same show with Silver Strings, Rex Goh was interviewed by John Cher and Russell Hitchcock (Air Supply) with Stephen Fry made comments on blog. Scott Page (Pnk Floyd, Toto) follows me on Twitter.. Thank you all. CLIK PIX TO READ.

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TRACY HUANG, STILL SINGING

She was Singapore's sweetheart in the 70s and drew sitting room audiences during her shows on local television singing love ballads. With her beautiful face, soft, sweet voice and sophisticated appeal, Tracy Huang (黃露儀) became a hit with Singaporeans. READ FULL VERSION. CLIK PIX

LEGGY FASHION MODELS AND THE BAND BOYS

60's band boys who play on stage to accompany the models while they catwalk usually drool when they see the beauties. Is this true? READ THEIR STORY.

I only heard Jose Mari Chan with 'Beautiful Girl' in the early 90's. This carrier single from his album 'Constant Change' sold very well and became a regional hit especially in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. CLIK PIX TO READ THE STORY.

JERRY FERNANDEZ: BIOGRAPHY OF A 70's SINGAPORE BAND BOY WHO PERFORMED IN EUROPE CLUBS.

It's a previous post but he's been here all the while. Here's Jerry again if you missed reading about him on this blog. "Across fourteen countries and two continents... Setting us apart from the rest of the pack..." CLICK PIX TO READ.

HAN SUYIN'S LEGACY

A MANY SPLENDORED THING. I usually post the image of a book cover (below) when I wish to discuss the pop song connected to the book. When the classic novel A Many Splendoured Thing (1952) by world renowned author *Han Suyin was made into a successful Hollywood movie in 1955 starring William Holden and Jennifer Jones, the song came together with the movie. CLIK PIX TO READ.

CINDY, CLAIR AND CARNABY

A very pleasant neighbour from across the road, wrote to me about her love for the 60's and 70's and songs she cherishes, fashion she designs and London places she visits. CHECK HER. CLIK PIX

70's BAND BOY BYRT MALLANYK WRITES FROM AUSTRALIA

"Everything you wrote and every place or movie you mentioned, and every star you talked about in your blog were part of my precious memories – so thank you VERY much. Many of the cinemas and clubs you mentioned are held fondly in my memories because I have crossed your path during my school days and also during my adult days as a musician." CLIK PIX TO READ FULL STORY

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CYLIN AND CHRISTMAS 2015

Andy, I truly support your blog which does a great job in bringing together people of like-minded interests and also in passing down a legacy to the generations after the 60's. It's the time of year again to be reminded of the reason for the season - to say a word of thanks for the gift of life.

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